Perfect Strangers
by LeafyDream
Summary: A collection of one shots about the strange romance of Sadayo Kawakami and her boyfriend, Yusuke Kitagawa. My favorite crack pairing.
1. Primavera

**Primavera**

"Akira Kurusu, please meet me in the teacher's lounge after class."

If the young man was surprised by the news, he didn't show it. He just smiled at her, as if there was something he knew that she didn't. The implications of that smile sent a subtle chill down her spine, but Sadayo Kawakami did her best to ignore it and focus on her responsibilities as a teacher. Right up until the bell rang. After that, she quickly reminded the class of their homework and made a beeline for the teacher's lounge.

She sat at her desk and waited for Akira to come, and she did not have to wait long. The raven-haired student entered the teacher's office with the same simple smile he usually wore. He approached her desk at a steady pace, blending in with the usual hustle of the large room. If anyone did notice him, they just muttered an insult at the delinquent before moving on. He didn't look like he even noticed anyone else besides Sadayo.

"Hello, Sadayo," he greeted, standing at her desk.

"That's Kawakami-sensei," she reminded. "Or Miss Kawakami."

"Of course."

He nodded his head, but they both knew their relationship was hardly as simple as a teacher and her student. As strange as it was to admit, Akira was probably her closest friend. A splash of rose touched her cheeks as she corrected herself. _Well, closest platonic friend..._

"I need some help."

"Is this about Takase's guardians? Have they been bothering you?" His voice was a low hiss, with anger laced under his normally calm voice. He leaned forward, his lips still curved into a smile, but his silver eyes gleaming like a sharp blade. The change was so fast, it was rather jarring to the teacher.

"What? N-no!" She tried to keep her voice down, eyes darting around the room. No one was staring at them, thankfully.

"Oh. Well, what's the problem then, Sadayo?"

She fought the urge to correct him, before sighing and glancing back at the young man. "I have a date today."

"That's great," he grinned. "Anyone I know?"

"No, I just met him at a... It doesn't matter," she grumbled, her cheeks still carrying a hint of scarlet. "I just want some advice."

"I'd be happy to help," he nodded. "Though, I'll admit I'm no expert on this." Sadayo wasn't sure how much she believed that. She had seen the young man hang around Takamaki, Niijima, and even Okumura. Not to mention that short, redhead that clung to him during the Culture Festival. Sadayo shrugged off the thought, deeming it unimportant.

"What would you do if you felt like your relationship with someone was wrong?"

"Wrong how? Is it hurting someone?" he wondered, raising a brow.

"No, I mean, not that I know it isn't hurting- I mean, this guy I'm going out with is... He's not someone a woman like me would usually date, you know?" Sadayo felt her cheeks burning, and she couldn't meet her student's gaze as she sighed.

"Is this man younger than you?" asked Akira, causing the young woman to stare at him.

"I-is it that obvious?"

"A little," he replied, with a subtle shrug of his shoulder. "Can I ask how young?" Her eyes turned away from him, and he nodded in response. "I see. Well, has he been good to you?"

"He's been amazing," she admitted, only to hesitate. "Well, I guess not entirely. Sometimes he can be a bit strange, but I guess that's what I like about him. He's not a typical gentleman." Akira nodded his head, listening to her every word. "He's smart, kind, mature... Honestly, I really like being with him, weird quirks and all." She found herself smiling at the hours she'd spent talking to him.

"You've been on dates before?"

"Only a couple," she answered. "He took me out dancing on our first night together..."

"He sounds nice," Akira complimented. "So he makes you happy. Does he seem happy with you?"

"Of course! I mean..." Sadayo frowned at the question. "He isn't like other guys. Nothing like the ones I dated back in college. He keeps his hands to himself, so that's good. He seems pretty content with how things have gone. We're taking it pretty slow so far," she muttered, glancing at the floor. "He seems happy with that."

"Then I don't see a problem. If he's old enough to really make his own decisions, and you certainly can make your own, nothing seems to be a problem here. Is it safe to assume he's at least in high school?"

"O-of course! I'm not a-a-a-"

"Then I'm not going to judge you. Society might, but you and I both know that society can be wrong." He smiled at her, completely at ease with what he was saying. "You deserve to be happy, Sadayo. If this man makes you happy, then date him. It's just that simple."

"Hm..." Sadayo took the words to heart, pondering their sweet simplicity. "Maybe you're right."

"I certainly think I am," Akira replied. "Is there anything else, Sadayo?"

"No, that's all... I'll see you tomorrow." Akira nodded in response, before quietly leaving her to her thoughts.

* * *

Today was a special occasion for Sadayo and her boyfriend. Most times they were together (could she call them dates?), they would do their best not to stand out from the crowd. This meant no kissing, no touching, just two friends walking through Tokyo. Today was different though. Today she was getting onto the train and meeting her boyfriend at Inokashira Park.

They could be alone there.

 _Alright, deep breaths._ She pulled her purse closer to her body, checking through it as the train carried her to her destination. _Wonder what he has planned for the afternoon? Should I have dressed up more?_ She shook her head, sighing as she tried to calm herself down.

The train arrived at its destination and Sadayo stepped out with the crowd. She made her way to the park, which was a short walk from the station, and there she found her boyfriend waiting for her at the gates of Inokashira. She found herself smiling at the sight of him. His navy-blue locks under the warmth of the sun, his white uniform, crisp and pristine, and his grey eyes calming over the area. He was probably trying to paint something in his head, his fingers twitching as if they held a brush between them.

"Yusuke-kun!"

He turned to her, and his stoic express shifted into a pleasant smile. "Ah, Sadayo." His voice was low, not gravely, but soothing to her ears, especially when he uttered her name. "How are you?"

"I'm good," she replied, happily. "I hope you weren't waiting long."

"Not at all. Shall we?" He motioned with his head to the park, and Sadayo nodded her head. The two began to walk into the park, and to the eyes of the common man or woman, they were just an older woman walking with a younger man. Sadayo enjoyed the simple bliss, but she couldn't help but notice the two bags Yusuke had. One was a large satchel, no doubt containing his art supplies. The other was a plastic bag that he held in his left hand.

"Did you get us lunch?"

"I did. There was a sale, and a friend of mine suggested I make this a picnic." He didn't sound impressed with himself, but then again he always did sound calm. It was something Sadayo always like about him. He wasn't horny, obnoxious, or annoying like most guys she had dated. He was simple. Honestly, he was more mature than most people twice his age were. "Is that alright with you?"

"You bet! You're sweet, you know that?" she chuckled. "So, where are we going?" Sadayo watched as boats passed them by. The lake was huge, with many happy couples rowing by them on the serene, blue water.

"There's a spot deeper into the park where we can be alone. My friend suggested it to me. He says we will be completely alone there."

"Alone, huh?" Yusuke didn't seem to give the word much though, but Sadayo wondered what went through his mind. Was he really as calm as he looked? Or was getting the wrong idea about all of this? Sadayo frowned, slightly, at the thought. _Yusuke's been nothing but a gentleman to me. No way he'd do that stuff... I mean, he rarely does. We've only kissed that one time, and..._

Memories of that night on the bridge spilled into her head like rainwater. The light of the moon dancing off of geysers of water, the lights of the city as they held each other in their arms, and how his lips felt against hers... They kissed, like a fairy tale, and it was magical.

Sadayo groaned at the memories. She was guilty of being a romantic. She knew that. Ever since she was young, she dreamed of the fairy tale prince who would rescue her from her life of drab and monotony. She blamed her parents for growing her up on that stuff.

"Is something wrong?" Yusuke inquired, glancing at her.

"Huh? N-no! I'm just thinking. Umm... So your friend helped you a lot with planning this?" she questioned, trying to distract him.

It seemed to have worked as Yusuke nodded his head. "Yes. He was a tremendous help." Sadayo's eyes narrowed slightly, watching her boyfriend's cheeks turn the slightest tone of pink. "He offered several suggestions, and advised me not to bring up certain 'illicit' subjects. In hindsight, I believe he was correct in stopping me from asking."

"Asking what?"

"N-nothing." It was rare to hear him stutter. "It's nothing."

Sadayo considered prying, but she shrugged it off. She had yet to mention the Takase incident to him yet. If he wasn't comfortable mentioning it, she wouldn't pry. "So this friend and you are close?" she asked, as they went off the sidewalk onto a path of large, flat rocks. Sadayo nodded at Yusuke, thanking him as he held a branch out of her way.

"Like brothers. The Theo to my Van Gogh." He released the branch and quickly returned to her side, leading her deeper into the forest area of the park. The teacher glanced at the trees above them, marveling at pink and purple petals that decorated the trees.

Sadayo grinned, proud of herself for understanding that reference. "Well, I'm glad you have someone like that to support you."

"I have two," replied the artist. Before she could ask what he meant, he followed her eyes upward. "Absolutely splendid."

"Do you want to stop to sketch?" She could see temptation in his gray eyes, but Yusuke shook his head.

"No. We are almost there." She could the slight twitch of his finger, meaning he did want to draw. He was just putting their date first, something that made Sadayo beam. "Follow me."

"R-right." Sadayo glanced behind her, staring at the branch that Yusuke had moved for her. Beyond that were some bushes that stood on both sides of the stone and dirt path. The path was there, and it could be seen, but only if someone was looking for it. _Meaning..._

"Sadayo? Are you okay?"

"Yep." Her arms reached out to his, and wrapped around the one holding the plastic bag. She pulled him towards her, making him step closer to her. "Perfect." She took the plastic bag from him with one arm, while the other clung to his arm. "Thanks for carrying everything, Yusuke, but let me at least take the picnic stuff. I insist."

"I... Very well." Yusuke glanced at her arm around his, and Sadayo smiled at the little victory. He was blushing, and it was because of his cute, young girlfriend wrapping her arm around his. It was nice to see his stoic nature crumble a little bit because of her.

 _Yep. Still got it,_ she thought.

The two continued to walk together down the path, and it wasn't long before they found exactly what they were looking for. Yusuke smiled at the sight of the clearing, and Sadayo had to admit that she was equally impressed. It was a simple area, with trees outlining the edge, and healthy, green glass carpeting the floor. Flowers were sporadically placed, in a wide variety of warm colors. It was the perfect place for a date.

"Wow, this is amazing! How did you find it?" Sadayo gasped.

"My friend is the one who found it, actually. I believe he was on a date with someone in the park one night. It doesn't matter, I suppose. Please, sit." Yusuke walked his girlfriend into the center of the clearing, and the two sat down. Sadayo placed the bag between them as Yusuke began to open his satchel.

The picnic was nothing too extravagant. A few sandwiches wrapped in plastic, some drinks, and napkins. Sadayo smiled all the same, as she unwrapped a sandwich for herself.

"This is nice."

"Indeed," Yusuke replied back. He was already taking out his sketchbook and pencil, but Sadayo didn't mind. She knew how much the artist enjoyed drawing. The fact that he didn't stop them as their way here was rather astonishing, honestly.

The two fell into a simple rhythm from their. She pulled away from him to eat her portion of the picnic, as he quietly drew in his book. She would admire the sound of singing birds and the gentle breeze of the wind, while he would occasionally look up from his work, either to ensure Sadayo was content or to look at whatever he was drawing for reference.

 _This is nice,_ the teacher thought. _Just the two of us, sitting here alone. Just enjoying each other's presence..._ Yet her own insecurities pecked away at her contentment. _Yusuke's enjoying himself, isn't he?_ It was a simple question that left her frustrated. She looked at the artist as he worked, only stopping to look around him.

 _I mean, lots of guys prefer older women, right?_ She cursed at herself for letting her doubts get to her. _Yusuke's mature for his age. That's probably part of the reason he wants to date me. We are dating, right? What if someone were to find out? I mean, he's just a kid. Okay, so not a kid, but... What if he leaves me for someone younger? I'm going to get grey hairs eventually. Then what?_

 _Stop it,_ she commanded herself. She sighed, shaking her head in annoyance. _I'm happy with him, and he's happy with me. It's just that simple... Isn't it?_

"Yusuke?"

"Hm?" He didn't take his eyes off his work.

"Do you ever stop and think about... about whether or not you're happy?"

"Happy? I'm sorry, I don't understand the question. What do you mean?" He glanced up at her from his book, but only for a moment.

"Are you happy with me? You know, dating me?" Sadayo sighed, motioning to herself. "I'm older than you. We're lucky you're so tall, or we could be asked a lot of questions just holding hands. I mean, what if someone from either of our schools saw us? What would they think!?"

"You seem to have changed your question. Are you asking, 'Are you happy?' or 'Are you afraid of what others say?' Those are two very different questions," he answered, putting his pencil back into his sketchbook.

"Both, I guess. I just... I want this to be something. Do you understand that?" she uttered, glaring at the grassy. She plucked a blade of grass with her free hand, watching as the wind carried it away. "I like you, but I'm worried about you liking me, and about how hard it is to keep our relationship a secret. It just feels crazy, sometimes. Like I don't know what's the right thing to do."

"Then forget about the right thing." Yusuke closed his sketchbook and turned his grey eyes to Sadayo. "Perhaps it is time to be selfish."

"Huh?" He leaned closer, and Sadayo found her mouth turning dry. "H-hey, you're getting a little clo-Mmph!"

His lips pressed against hers, and her eyes widened as her body turned to stone. His lips were soft, gentle against her own. There was nothing wet to the kiss. Nothing steamy about it. It was as simple as pressing his lips against hers, but that didn't mean there was no passion. She could feel his resolve when his hand gently touched hers. She could feel his desire as he inched closer to deepen the kiss. She could feel his longing for her, in the seconds that ticked by.

Then he pulled away, and she was left blushing and breathless.

"I do not care for what society deems me. I do not care about whether my feelings are right or wrong. I have learned that sometimes, one must be selfish to truly appreciate and understand beauty." His grey eyes gleamed, but Sadayo felt her eyes staring at his cheeks. He was blushing.

"Once upon a time, I stood by and simply allowed others to guide and control me. Like the frame of a painting, my work was exquisite, but contained. Bordered. Controlled. I shattered that frame, and now I choose my own fortune." Yusuke leaned back, but his hand did not release hers. "I am happy with you, Sadayo. Nothing else matters, but your own happiness."

"I..." Sadayo felt her cheeks turn into an inferno, and her words tripped over each other in her mouth. "You-I... Older than... Uh."

"Salvador Dali was ten years younger than his eternal muse, Gala. They remained married for the rest of their lives. I find the comparison rather complimentary," Yusuke shrugged, with a wry smile on his face.

"You really mean that, don't you?" she whispered, with wide, dark-almond eyes.

"You make me happy, Sadayo. If I do the same for you, I see no reason for why we shouldn't be together."

And then he kissed her again, and her fears melted away.

The two spent the rest of the afternoon together, until the sun began to set. Sadayo mourned how fast time had flew by them, but she stood up all the same. Yusuke was only now beginning to eat his sandwich. The older woman had to remind her boyfriend to eat, something he would often forget about. They picked up their trash and dusted grass off their clothes, when Sadayo glanced at Yusuke's book.

"Can I see what you drew?"

"Hm? Ah, no. I don't think you should..."

"Why not? Is it not done yet?"

"No, the sketch is complete, it's just-"

"Come on, let me see," she chuckled. She only wanted to tease her boyfriend, but she found it easy to snatch the large book for him. His eyes widened as she turned the pages to where he had been drawing. "I have no idea what you were looking at while I was eating, you know. I just want to kn-"

It was a drawing of her, complete with her striped sweater and denim skirt. She was standing in a forest, dancing under the shade of towering trees. Her pose resembled a ballerina, ironic considering her own inability to dance. Her hands stretched out to the sky as her legs carried her. What was most phenomenal was the fact that her body almost seemed to be in motion. It was like she really was staring at herself dancing in the forest, wind blowing her hair.

"I..."

"I have tried several times to use others as models for my work. I understand now that, this was my folly," Yusuke slowly explained. "One cannot capture life when life is being held still. Life must be natural. Alive. So I did not ask you to pose for me. I simply looked at you and the forest around us, and I drew your figure dancing. I... I hope..." Yusuke stopped, keeping his eyes away from her. "I hope you find it decent. The proportions feel wrong, and I failed to capture your hair, but I assure you, I can try again and-"

"I love it." She leaned forward, lifting herself up to peck his lips. His eyes turned to hers, cheeks a rosy hue, and grey eyes widened. His lips smiled as she repeated herself. "I love it."

 **END**

Wanna know what the fun of crack pairings is? Trying to make it work. Trying to make it kind of believable. Trying to make something real out of something unheard of. Hopefully I accomplished that.

Honestly, I was going to write a completely different story about these two meeting and forming a friendship, but I lacked fuel as I kept getting stumped. So, I cut ahead to the middle of their relationship. 1. To see if people were interested in them, and 2. To have some cute fun.

Eagle-eyed readers might notice this story fits in well enough with some other stories I'm writing. Well, that's because I like to think this takes place in continuity with those stories. It's like I'm writing my own Cinematic Universe.

Would you like to see more? I might want to write more, but we'll see. For now, this chapter was just for fun as I try to work out the next chapter of Just a Delinquent. Hope you enjoyed, and take care, my friends. Stay safe!

Also, the chapter's name comes from a painting. The meaning of the word is 'spring.' I like chapter titles with a theme. The name of the story is from a song by Jonas Blue, which I feels capture the theme of this story. Two strangers falling in love. It doesn't matter what happens tomorrow, they're happy together here and now.


	2. The Lovers

**The Lovers**

Kawakami turned her head slightly, analyzing the painting with curious eyes. She had been to art museums before in her life, but she was in no ways an expert. She might have been a teacher, but that didn't give her an encyclopedic knowledge of every painting in the world. No, here she returned to the role of her student, and her boyfriend became the teacher.

Sadayo Kawakami was here to learn from a real expert. What she was supposed to learn, well… She was still trying to figure that out.

"It's an...apple?" He smiled at her, clearly amused by her attempts to explain the painting. "It's a really big apple?"

"This piece is called 'The Listening Room.' It's by René Magritte," Yusuke Kitagawa explained. "The theme of his work was to always challenge the audience's concept of reality. It's fascinating, isn't it?"

Sadayo looked at the painting again, but try as she might, all she could see was a giant, green apple in a small room. She scratched at her neck, straining her eyes to find what Yusuke saw. The blue-haired put a finger under his lip as he marveled over the surreal painting.

"Magritte would often use apples in his work. They're a symbol of the tension between the hidden and seen. He'd even use them to obscure his face in his self-portraits." His eyes glanced at her, and she could see them widen. "Do you not like it?" Judging by his tone, Yusuke sounded disbelieving that Sadayo wasn't awestruck by the giant apple.

"It's not that I don't like it, it's just not for me," she quickly explained.

"I see." His eyes bounced back and forth between the woman and the painting, clearly not understanding what she meant.

 _I really hope he isn't trying to pick between the two of us. It shouldn't be that hard!_ Sadayo huffed.

"Perhaps a different painting then? I apologize for wasting your time. I simply thought-"

"You're not wasting my time!" Sadayo's hand fell into his, and she smiled into his grey eyes. Her own eyes lit up as she felt his fingers curl around hers. "I'm just happy being here with you. This is nice, Yusuke."

Dating Yusuke was the kind of adventure Sadayo needed in her life. He was nothing like any other guy she had dated. He was an artist, yet he had this amazing flair to him. A fire in his eyes that would ignite whenever he was inspired. He was more mature than most boys his age, hell, most guys her age. Not to mention his artistic insight.

 _And his age._ It was a blunt reminder to herself, one that made her smile wane. No matter how he acted, or how happy they were, Yusuke was almost half her age. That was a simple fact.

And with that fact, came Sadayo's usual anxieties and fears. Was it right that they were dating? Was it right for her to be reciprocating Yusuke's feelings? Should she have nipped this whole thing in the bud weeks ago? Sure, Yusuke made her happier than she'd ever been, and he was a perfect gentleman to her, but…

"Sadayo-chan." His voice brought her back to reality. "You seem troubled."

 _Am I that obvious?_ "Wait. Sadayo-chan?" Her left eyebrow rose and Yusuke tried his best to hide the fact that his cheeks were flushed. She smiled wryly as he failed spectacularly.

"You seem worried about your age often. I simply wish to make you feel young," he muttered. "Is it… strange? I can call you something else, if you'd like."

"No, I like it." Her fingers squeezed his and he returned her small smile. "Thank you…"

"My pleasure." He nodded his head, before he turned his head forward. "You were worrying about our relationship again?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "I wish I had your confidence, Yusuke, I really do, but I'm just… worried."

Yusuke stared at her, and for a moment, Sadayo feared she had hurt her boyfriend. She didn't want to come off as unhappy with him. It wasn't his fault. It wasn't anyone's fault. They were just two people who shouldn't be in love…

"Yusuke-"

"I was going to hold off on showing you this, but perhaps you need to see it." Yusuke took a deep breath, before exhaling. "Please, Sadayo, come with me." And he pulled on her, and she followed as best she could.

"Wait, where are we going?"

"To see my painting."

"Wait, you have something in this museum?" Her eyes widened as the notion. Her boyfriend had art that was good enough to be shown at a museum?!

"Yes, well… It's nothing too impressive. I simply made it for class when the teacher noticed, and one thing led to another, as they say. It's just around the corner."

Sadayo followed her boyfriend, and her eyes widened as she saw it. The painting took Sadayo's breath away as she saw a woman standing on the beach. Her short, black hair was caught in a breeze, hiding her face, but Sadayo knew who she was with a single glance.

The woman was standing on a beach, a cliffside behind her in the distance. She wore a golden, summer dress that was flowing in the wind. A hand combed through the back of her hair as the other rested by her side. She stared off into the sea as Sadayo slowly walked closer. She glanced at the small plaque below the painting.

"'The Woman in Summer, by Yusuke Kitagawa.'" Her jaw hung low as she looked at Yusuke, who coughed into his fist.

"I apologize that I did not ask for your permission. Previous attempts at asking for a model went… poorly," he admitted. "I was having a brief case of artist's block, when inspiration struck me in the form of you, my muse. I-"

Sadayo silenced him by placing her hands on Yusukes cheeks. The young man's eyes widened as she pulled him close, kissing his soft lips. She could feel him suck in air through his nose, gasping in shock. He quickly melted into the embrace, placing a hand on her cheek as he leaned forward to return the kiss.

The older woman wrapped her arms around Yusuke's neck, gently nibbling on his lower lip as Yusuke stiffened. Despite how stoic the artist was, Sadayo knew exactly how to make him crumble. She pulled away, smiling as she admired her own art. Yusuke was blushing profusely, eyes wide, mouth agape.

"I love it."

Yusuke smiled with pride in his eyes as Sadayo began to turn red. Her fingers gently played with his hair as Yusuke's hands stroked her back.

"Romance is not something I've very adept at, but I… uh." Yusuke blinked, staring into Sadayo's hazel eyes. "I'm at a lost of words. That is the effect you have on me."

"You charmer," she giggled. She pulled away from the young man, only to realize that there were eyes on them. Many eyes. "I think we have an audience."

"I'm sorry?"

Sadayo motioned with her eyes at the several museum-goers watching them. Some were blushing, others were watching with awe, and a few of the older patrons were annoyed by their public display of affection.

"Perhaps it is time to go?" Yusuke suggested.

"Yeah, maybe you're right." The two returned their hands to each other's, and they began to walk to the museum's exit. "You know, there's a light show that airs on Saturday nights. Ever seen it?"

"I have not."

"Something to do then," the older woman grinned. "And maybe we can go to the beach sometime? I can model for you, maybe you can try painting something more obscene?" Sadayo didn't intend on doing anything too crazy, she just couldn't resist the luminous blush on her boyfriend's face.

"O-o-o-ob… Oh. Oh my."

Sadayo laughed at her boyfriend's pink face, pulling on his hand as the two made their way to the exit.

 _He's so cute. And handsome,_ she thought with a grin. She saw the painting in her mind, and her own cheeks began to heat up. _And romantic…_ Maybe it was wrong, but… but she felt happy. She felt safe. She felt like Yusuke really did love her.

 **END**

Just another one shot about one of my favorite crack pairings. Cause I do that.

Title comes from the paintings 'The Lovers' by René Magritte. Man, this story makes me learn a lot about artists...


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